Where Rainbows End
by sheshemarie
Summary: Catherine gets a visitor in Quantico, how will things go.
1. Chapter 1

**A request from VampireGirl88. I hope this is how you wanted it. : )**

Catherine had been living in Quantico for almost two months now, truth be told she found it a little strange. She was used to the hustle and bustle of Vegas, the heat and the desert landscape, by comparison Quantico was as far from Vegas as you could get. Not only in miles or size but just by the whole feel of it, in Vegas you could walk down the street and see hookers pretty much everywhere whereas in Quantico it was marines.

Her house was a lot different to her old place, instead of being all on one level she now had three if you included the basement which Catherine fully intended on turning into her office at some point.

She stood in the middle of her family room and looked around at all the boxes that were scattered and piled all around the house, sighing she remembered why she hated moving. Dropping her purse and black suit jacket onto the couch she made her way over to the closest box, its about time I sorted these she thought. Using the edge of her keys to cut through the seal on the box labelled '_bedroom'_ she pulled back the first flap then the second and felt her breath come in short, she recognised that blue cotton. She closed her eyes as memories washed over her, capturing her in their grasp and taking her to places she knew she shouldn't let them take her.

She recalled the first time she had seen _that_ blue cotton, it had been a sunny day in Vegas but not to the point where it was too hot which was the case more often than not, she had been searching for Jim for a warrant on the case she was working when she had stumbled upon _him_ working out in the PD gym, in that shirt. She recalled how his forehead and been damp from the exertion, how his muscles had tensed and relaxed as he lifted the weights, she also remembered how he had smiled when he saw her and invited her to join him to shower; an offer she hadn't refused. After that day he wore the shirt to her place a couple of times until he misplaced it at Catherine's one night, the last night they had spent together before she had made the mistake of trusting McQuaid and letting him get too close. It was this that led Catherine to tell Lou he deserved more, her mind told her it was true and that she should let him move on and find someone better than her but her heart screamed in protest, it ached for the man she had fallen for.

Shaking her head she opened her eyes and tried to push the memories back down along with the feelings she was still trying to bury, she knew this was dangerous territory, she couldn't allow herself to remember him or the way he made her feel. Quickly closing the box back up she stood and headed over to kitchen to get a large glass of wine, reaching the kitchen she got out her biggest wine glass and reached for the wine, she opened the lid and tipped it up to pour some out only as she did nothing happened. Frowning she lifted the bottle up to eyes level and gently shook it.

"Typical," she sighed and tossed the bottle into the trash can, she knew she didn't have any more wine and she knew she couldn't get rid of the memories without it.

Looking back at the boxes in the other room she made up her mind, grabbing her keys off the table by the door and the red leash next to it she whistled for Toby. Her Golden Retriever puppy that had been Lindsey's gift to her when she moved, Lindsey had claimed that she couldn't live alone, she needed company so this wriggling ball of excitement weaving through her ankles was her new companion. She had to admit that she did find having him around made her feel that little more secure, even if he was next to useless when it came to loud noises, he would dart behind Catherine's legs and stand quivering until she assured him everything was okay. If she was honest she found it rather cute, his big brown eyes staring up at her with that trust that only a dog can freely give.

Latching the leash onto his collar she opened the front door and had to warn Toby not to pull as he tried to make a break to freedom and the birds he could see down the steps on the sidewalk, walking out and hooking the leash around her wrist she locked the door then made her way down the few steps until they reached the place where the birds were happily pecking at crumbs on the ground. Toby immediately darted out in their direction, sensing danger the birds took flight to find a safer place to lunch, a place where a slobbering, excited puppy wasn't about to plough into them. Toby watched the birds take off as did Catherine, once they were out of sight she looked down at Toby, he sniffed the ground a couple of times then looked up at her with an almost sorrowful look on his face.

Catherine leant down and scratched between his ears. "Aww bud, the birds don't want to play." Toby perked up at the sound of Catherine's affections and began waggling his tail. "Shall we go to the park? I bet there are lots of birds there for you to chase." Catherine had no idea why she was talking to a dog, it wasn't like he was going to suddenly stand on his hind legs and answer her but she found the little interactions comforting. Like he'd understood what she had said Toby started to lead the way to the park, a place they frequented regularly.

Across town and unbeknownst to Catherine the man she had been trying to rid from her thoughts was travelling in a cab in her very direction, a brown paper bag in his hand, a strong alcoholic smell radiated off the man in heaps. The cabbie didn't usually pick up people who were barely standing from alcohol consumption but something about this man, his eyes, had called out to him and he had offered the guy a lift to wherever it was he was so clearly trying to get to.

He raised the brown paper bag and took a gulp of the amber liquid inside, he winced as it burned its way down his throat and settled in his stomach giving him the warm feeling he craved, the feeling that he used to get from the woman he was searching for.

"Hey man, how about you calm down on the drinking." The cabbies softly said, trying to coax the dark haired man from making a bad decision.

"And how about you keep your nose out."

The cabbie glanced into his rear-view mirror and nodded slightly, he took note how the guy could of once been a respectable man, a handsome man. He was wearing a smart but crumpled suit, he had clearly tried to make an effort for wherever he was going but had neglected to run an iron over his clothes before putting them on, he could of also done with a shave, from the stubble on his chin it was evident he hadn't bothered in at least two weeks. He also reeked of alcohol and sweat, not a good combination.

"I'm going to find my girlfriend," the passenger slurred, he paused to have another drink from the bag before continuing. "she lives here now, she left me to live here. I'm going to find her."

The cabbie glanced once more in the mirror. "Do you think that's wise?"

"Yes." He squinted at the man accusatory. "Why, what do you know? Are you fucking her?"

The cabbie shifted in his seat and looked over his shoulder briefly. "I'm married sir, and I don't know who your girlfriend is. All I was saying is maybe you should sober up first, have a shower. You want to look good for her right?"

The dark haired man squinted at him for a bit longer before his face relaxed, shrugging he took another drink. "Whatever, you'd like her though."

"I'm sure I would." The cabbie tried to appease him.

He watched the man silently, he watched him lean against the door and rest his forehead against the cool glass, close his eyes and start murmuring. "She's a beautiful woman, got this golden hair with hints of red in it, the most sparkling blue eyes you've ever seen and a smile to die for." the cabbie wasn't sure whether he was talking to him or himself so remained silent. "and her body…..wow! She's slim but she's got curves, her legs go on forever and her ass is pheno…phenom…..its good. And then there's her breasts, they fit just perfectly in my hands." He paused and looked at his hands before letting out a sigh and dropping them into his lap again.

The cabbie wasn't used to so much interaction, normally his passengers just got in, told him their destination then spent the duration staring out of the windows or on the phone, sometimes even making out in the backseat. But this guy seemed like he had a lot on his chest and wanted to get it off, so he just sat quietly and listened as he spoke about his girlfriend.

Catherine had spent the best part of an hour walking through the park, throwing the ball for Toby and retrieving it when he came bounding back with it hanging out of his mouth. For a brief time she had even forgotten about the dark haired man she had left behind…..that was until she rounded the corner and saw him sat slumped in the corner against her door.

Walking closer her grip tightened on Toby's lead, not out of fear of him attacking but out of fear of herself and her feelings towards this man.

"Lou?" she questioned when she was within feet of him.

He lifted his head from where it had been lolling against his chest and jerked his arms out to his sides in greeting. "Catherine!" he all but yelled and tried to stand from his position, he used the wall to guide him up then stumbled down the few steps towards her, almost falling and landing on her at the bottom.

Catherine's nose curled at the stench that was rolling off of him, he looked and smelled awful. "Oh my god Lou, what have you done?" she eyed the brown paper bag and knew what it meant, if not from the smell coming from it then by the way he was swaying and slurring.

"I came to see you course, silly." Lou attempted a smile, which came out lopsided.

Sighing Catherine shook her head and bypassed the hug he tried to give her, instead she headed for the door and unlocked it. She unleashed Toby and sent him in then turned to look at Lou who was still stood swaying at the bottom of the steps, she let out another sigh and knew she was probably going to regret what she said next. "Why don't you come in?" Lou's eyes gleamed, she could see the hope in them as he practically sprinted up the steps. "At least until you sober up."

After bringing him into her home she had sat him down on one of the armchairs in her living room and made a mental note to buy some fabric freshener on her next trip to the store, who knew when that would be was a different matter. After making sure he wasn't going to slide off she made her way to the kitchen and made a pot of strong coffee, leaning against the counter she put her head in her hands and let out a silent scream. She had been trying so hard to get over him, the man who was currently in her living room attempting to sing Super Freak, she smiled a little thinking that if it wasn't for the slurring and the odd wrong word he would be quite a good singer. Shaking her head she internally scolded herself for letting such thoughts enter her mind, she was supposed to be sobering him up then sending him on his way not thinking about his deep yet soft voice.

The machine behind her beeped indicating the coffee was ready, she turned and grabbed the pot, poured two cups and added milk and sugar to one before carrying them through.

Lou stopped singing and grinned big when he saw her again. "Heeeey! There she is!" he was slumped down in the chair and struggling to get back up.

Catherine set the glasses down on the coffee table and helped him sit back up, holding her breath as she did so. Once she was sure he was steady she handed him the black coffee. "Drink this." she instructed and sat on the sofa nursing her own mug.

Lou took a sip. "Its hot!" he exclaimed making Catherine sigh. "Why would you give men something hot?" he sloppily put the mug back on the coffee table and made to stand. "I want my drink, where'd you put my drink?"

"Down the drain." Catherine responded without looking at him.

Lou's head snapped in her direction. "You did what?" he stumbled his way through the piles of boxes and into the kitchen where he looked in the sink and stared down the drain as if it could reveal the answer to his question.

Catherine slowly made her way in and stood watching him, she didn't like this Lou very much. He was arrogant, smarmy and obviously thought everything was a joke unless it came to his alcohol.

"Its gone Lou." she simply stated.

"I needed that," he retorted and turned to face her, keeping his hands on the counter for that much needed support. "I needed it." he reiterated.

Catherine quirked an eyebrow. "What happened to not drinking for eleven years or so?"

Lou looked around the room trying to make it stop spinning. "my girlfriend told me I deserved more, she was wrong."

Catherine sighed deeply and looked at her feet, allowing herself a few moments to gather her thoughts. "Lou, now isn't the time."

He shrugged in response and started to look through the boxes, he knocked the top one off the pile. "Opps." he said and laughed slightly as pasta shells scattered across the floor.

Shaking her head she walked over and grasped his arm and started dragging him towards the bathroom. "Where we going?" he asked looking at her with a dopey smile on his face.

"You are having a shower, you stink." Catherine didn't even look at him, instead she started to push him up the stairs.

As if to prove a point Lou took a sniff of himself and shrugged. "S'not that bad."

Not wanting to start an argument Catherine remained silent and pushed him into the bathroom. "Strip." she ordered and turned her back on him while she turned the shower on, when she turned back around she saw him fumbling with his shirt buttons.

Taking pity on him she helped him to undress, the whole time he was smiling like the village idiot and telling her how pretty she was. Once he was naked Catherine pushed him into the shower and handed him some shower gel. "Clean yourself up."

She turned to leave when his voice piped up. "Cath," she closed her eyes expecting another compliment, she used to love them but right now he was getting on her last nerve. "Thanks." He mumbled, Catherine looked over at him and nodded slightly before leaving the bathroom.

She didn't go far, only to the next room which happened to be her bedroom. Not much of a bedroom yet though, it only had her bed in the centre and an open suitcase with her work clothes in.

Half an hour later she heard the shower turn off, soft feet padding along the floor and the bathroom door open. She got off of her bed and went out into the hall where found Lou completely naked looking around, she allowed her eyes to wander down his body and take a look at that perfect ass. He might of looked a mess but he still had a perfect body, realising what she was doing and thinking she shook her head and looked back up. "Is everything okay?" she asked hoping her voice was steady.

Lou's head turned to face her and he grinned, he seemed a bit steadier on his feet. "I need a towel," he stated and turned his whole body to face her, he jiggled his hips making other parts of his anatomy jiggle also, Catherine noticed before she looked at the bare white wall. "My boys are getting cold." he chuckled.

Catherine nodded and grabbed a towel out of the box in the spare room, she tossed it at him along with some shorts of his she had found among the boxes while he was showering.

He had dried off and put the shorts on, all the while Catherine had stood looking at the wall and having an internal fight about the way him being in her house, naked and wet was making her feel. Once it was safe enough to look again Catherine showed him to the spare room and put him into bed, the shower had sobered him up slightly but he was still seeing a spinning room. He smirked up at her when she tucked him in.

"Why don't you join me?" he grinned in a way he thought was sexy but came off as lopsided with a hint of idiot thrown in, he patted the bed next to him and winked for added effect.

Catherine finished tucking him in. "I don't think that would be a good idea Lou." when he reached out and touched the bare skin showing at her waist she flinched and cursed herself for feeling those oh so familiar tingles.

Lou, even in his drunken state, noticed her not so subtle reaction and grinned wider, he looped his finger into one of the belt loops on her black slacks and pulled her tumbling onto him. He seized his opportunity and kissed her neck, a spot he knew would turn her on. Catherine closed her eyes and moaned softly, his lips felt so familiar, so good. It wasn't until she felt his length hardening against her thigh that she realised what she was doing and quickly pulled away, she scrambled off the side of the bed while Lou's hands tried to pull her back, his protests and pleads passing through her mind and settling in the weak spot she had for him, that spot that right at this moment was screaming at her to climb back into that bed with him and forget everything in a wild night of passion. However that other part, the more sensible part of her brain told her that she had to leave now, not to do anything stupid, he was drunk and she was fragile even if she wouldn't admit it. It was this part that won out and made her walk to the door without a look back. "Goodnight Lou." she said as she shut the door to his room and made her way to hers across the hall.

This was going to be a long night she thought as she heard him start singing again.

**Hope everyone is liking this?**

**There's going to be a couple of chapters to this fic, I started it as a one shot but got carried away and it started to get too long to be a one shot. Oh well.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aren't you guys lucky, I'm updating this fast ;) **

Halfway through the night Catherine had heard Lou retching and had taken a large pan into his room for him to be sick in, he had asked her to stay which when she saw his sad eyes she had agreed but sternly told him that if he tried anything she would leave again and he would be left to be sick on his own.

It wasn't long after Catherine had gotten into the bed next to him that he had fallen asleep and began snoring, Catherine had been staring at the ceiling until she heard his snores. She had never shared a bed with him if it didn't involve them being naked, sweaty and their bodies joined in sweet bliss, it felt strange but a good strange. She studied his face as he slept, he seemed almost peaceful, cute even. Cute? That was a word she had never used to describe the man laying next to her, handsome yes, even sexy but never cute. She thought for a moment and decided that he was indeed cute, yes, the way he wrinkled his brow and his lips pouted slightly, he was definitely cute when he was asleep.

Sleep had eluded Catherine until the small hours of the morning when her mind had become sluggish in its thoughts and she had allowed that heavy feeling to finally pull her into its abyss.

When she woke it was to the sound of someone clattering around in her kitchen, lack of sleep and her survival instincts taking over she jumped out of bed without making a sound, grabbed her gun from its holster in the bathroom cabinet, she had them stashed all around her house for protection, more now than she did in Vegas and before her house was shot to pieces. She made her way silently down the stairs, her breathing shallow, she paused at the side of the kitchen door and took a deep breath to steady her nerves before barging in with her gun outstretched. As soon as she entered and saw Lou Vartann rustling up some bacon and eggs at the cooker she remembered everything that had happened, how she had come home to find him drunk on her doorstep, making him shower, tucking him into bed and later joining him there. She immediately felt foolish for overreacting and slid the gun into the nearest drawer as quietly as she could.

Lou turned when he heard the quiet scraping of the drawer being pushed back in, he smiled softly, almost sheepishly when he saw her. "Morning."

Catherine smiled back and walked to the coffee pot, where she found a freshly brewed pot waiting for her, she cast a quick glance at Lou to see him watching her. She smiled her thanks and poured a mug, added the necessary milk and sugar then took a seat at the kitchen table. A few moments passed before she remembered Toby, she looked around for the small pup but couldn't see him anywhere, she found this strange because he usually came bounding to her as soon as she opened her eyes, sometimes even waking her by licking her feet which she hated.

"Where's Toby?" she asked and looked at Lou.

He turned and smiled softly. "So that's his name, I asked him but he wouldn't tell me." he attempted to joke but Catherine wasn't paying much attention, she was now on her feet and making her way towards the living room where Toby's dog bed was situated, even if he did prefer sleeping on the end of her bed.

She walked in and found him in the middle of the rug chewing on a bone larger than himself. Lou walked up behind her with his own mug of coffee and smiled seeing the dog crouch down on its front legs, bum in the air and wiggling as it challenged the bone.

"You were still asleep and Toby needed the bathroom, you didn't have any food in the place so we went to the store," he smiled seeing Toby jump to the side slightly and challenge the bone again. "we stopped by the pet store too and Toby picked out that bone. He quite a character." he chuckled.

Catherine let out a sigh of relief and relaxed, she didn't know what she thought had happened but Lou taking her dog to the store to buy food and a bone wasn't even in the list of possibilities.

They stood silently watching the dog for a while longer before they both headed back into the kitchen, Lou finished up making scrambled eggs, bacon and toast while Catherine sat at the table taking sips of her coffee, the events of yesterday running through her mind. She had questions, like why was he here, why had he been drinking again and what the hell had caused him to grow a beard.

Lou knew Catherine was thinking, she had that little crinkle on her forehead, the one that he found adorable. He had first noticed it when he was working a case with her and the evidence and confession hadn't matched up, he had known at that moment that he loved that little crinkle. He allowed a few moments to watch her before he placed a plate of food in front of her and sat opposite with a glass of something that certainly wasn't coffee. Catherine looked at her plate then at him and the glass.

Lou noticed where her gaze had settled, he held it out slightly and showed her the contents. "it's a bloody mary, my hangover cure." Catherine frowned slightly, not liking that he was having alcohol to cure the after effects of having too much alcohol. "Don't worry, I'm not going to drink after this, this just takes the edge off."

Nodding Catherine pushed her plate away slightly making Lou sigh softly. "Cath, I'm sorry about yesterday, last night. Things have been…they've been…wrong since you left…."

"Sure, blame me for you getting wasted." Catherine rolled her eyes and stiffened slightly

Lou sighed and shook his head. "I'm not blaming you Catherine, I know I only have myself to blame for it. I just….I was finding it difficult, I needed to get away from the feelings for a while and drinking seemed a good idea at the time. Not so much now." he chuckled and rubbed his temples.

Catherine looked over and felt the anger from a moment ago dissipating. "Lou…" she started. Lou looked over at her, his blue/gray eyes meeting her sky blue ones. Catherine knew she needed to explain herself but she wasn't sure how he was going to react, especially since he had started drinking again. "McQuaid, he was more than a colleague."

Lou nodded, he had already figured this out for himself, the way she had avoided his question at PD had been enough of an answer, what he didn't know was just how far things had gone. He chose to remain silent as Catherine continued talking.

"You know he worked with me on the gun case, well after we wrapped that he came to my house to apologise for going over my head." she looked over and saw Lou staring into his cup. "Nothing happened then, well he touched my cheek but that's it…until I saw him again a few days later when he came back to Vegas. He called me and invited me to his hotel room, I went." she mumbled and looked down, Lou closed his eyes and his grip on the glass tightened.

A few moments passed before Catherine continued. "We kissed, things got pretty heated and we ended up on the bed. We were just about to…when our pagers went off. That's all that happened, we didn't do anything after that. We got dressed again and went to work, the next time I saw him was when you saw us talking at PD."

Lou didn't know what to think, what to feel. He was mad, mad that another man had put his hands on Catherine's body, mad that he had seen her naked. He was also sad, sad because he knew he had led Catherine there, his jealousy and his pushing to get her to open up had led her to another mans bed. Then there was the jealousy, another man had turned Catherine on enough to get her into bed and take her clothes off, he didn't like it one bit. Yet through all these feelings there was still that glimmer of hope, because she hadn't gone through with it, she hadn't slept with the guy. And she was telling him so surely that meant something.

The silence dragged on, Catherine knew Lou was fighting what he was feeling so she remained silent and still, waiting for his calm demeanour to snap. It didn't, instead he slowly raised his head and quietly said "Did you love him?"

Catherine raised her eyes to his and shook her head. "No, it was just physical attraction. I cant see why now, he was too…..vain. No man should spend longer than a woman on his hair." Lou had to chuckle slightly at that. Catherine smiled softly and carried on. "He wasn't what I normally go for at all, I like my men to be men, a little rough around the edges."

Lou smirked at her. "Am I rough around the edges?"

Catherine smiled shyly and looked at the table, she didn't know what it was about Lou but he had this way to turn her into a schoolgirl again. "Yes you are, you're the hard detective at work, gruff demeanour and take no shit attitude." she chanced a glance at him, he was watching her as she spoke. "But you're also sweet, when we're alone you know how to treat me. You know what I want without me even having to say it." Lou had to smile at that and reached across the table for her hand, when she didn't pull it away he laced their fingers together.

"That's because I love you." Lou's voice came out soft, Catherine's jaw almost hit the floor.

"You….you…..you what?" Catherine was stunned to say the least.

Lou got up out of his chair and went around to her side of the table, he knelt on the floor and looked into her eyes as he said as sincerely and honestly as Catherine had ever heard his voice. "I love you Catherine Willows."

Catherine looked into his eyes and saw the truth there, he did love her. Her immediate reaction was to run, she didn't do well in situations like this, love for Catherine normally spelt trouble. Especially when it came to men, all the men she had loved in her life had either died or left, there was Eddie, Mike, Warrick, Sam and even Gil. Admittedly she had loved them all in different ways, some as friends or even family, others as lovers, yet they had all left her. She didn't want Lou to leave her like that, he didn't deserve to be killed just for loving her.

Gulping she stood from her chair and started to pace the room, so many thoughts where whizzing around her mind at that moment. On one hand she had the doubts and worries from her bad luck, on the other she wanted to throw herself into his arms and tell him she loved him too. She knew she couldn't leave him hanging much longer, the poor guy had just confessed he loved her, opened his heart to her and here she was, practically stomping on it as she paced the floor.

She wrapped one arm around her waist and brought her other up so she could run her fingers along her lips, a nervous trait of hers. Lou noticed and stood up, he gently touched her arm. "Hey, I'm not expecting anything back. Not until you're ready."

Catherine looked at him and nodded slightly. "Can we talk about something else? I'm not ready to go there just yet." Lou nodded and smiled softly and ghosted his fingers down the soft skin of her arm before moving to sit at the table again.

Catherine took a moment before she joined him again, this time however she picked up a rasher of bacon and began to nibble on it. She glanced at him and placed the bacon back down, wiped her hands on one of the napkins he had set out and began talking. "Why did you come here? And why have you been drinking? What about work? Do they know where you are?"

Lou smiled slightly for a moment. "Which question do you want me to answer first?"

Catherine thought about it for a second before answering. "The first." she picked up her now cold mug of coffee, made her way to the sink and poured the contents away before pouring herself another mug.

Lou waited until she was seated at the table again, he noted how the sun was shining on her face, making her pale skin seem to glow in its rays, her hair shimmered. "Okay, first question. Well I came here for you, I missed you and I didn't get a chance to talk to you before you left. I wondered why that was?"

Two hours later and most of Catherine's questions had been answered, she had found out that Lou had started drinking again around a month after she had left Vegas. She'd found out that he'd gone to The French Palace after hearing that she had once worked there, he had talked to a few of the old patrons that still frequented the place. According to what he had told her they had all been missing her and had spoken fondly of her.

Lou hadn't been the only one who had been open and honest, Catherine had told him about exactly what her share in The Eclipse was, how she had found out Sam was her father and the repercussions that had come from that particular mistake she had made. She'd also told him about how Eddie had treated her throughout their marriage, her addiction to cocaine and the hard months she had spent getting off the disgusting drug. Lou had been patient and listened to her throughout, when she had started talking about Eddie he clenched his fists under the table. If Eddie hadn't already been six feet under he would of happily beat his ass to a pulp for hurting Catherine like that.

The talk had been nice but Catherine really had to start getting ready for work, after a quick shower she changed her clothes, put on a little natural looking make up and ran the hair brush through her hair, not really caring that she hadn't straightened it and that her soft curls were on show for all to see. She grabbed the coffee to go that Lou had made for her and the little packed lunch he had thrown together, she gave him a small smile and a muttered "Thanks." before heading out the door, just before she closed it she paused and called through. "Make yourself at home, help yourself to food," that sentence made Lou chuckle slightly, she didn't have any food in the house besides the breakfast stuff he had brought but the offer was sweet. "Oh and could you let Toby out occasionally for the bathroom? I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

Lou smiled at her and walked to the door with Toby at his heels. "Go Catherine, we'll be fine and I promise I'm not going to drink." he held his fingers up in the well known boy scout code of honour.

Catherine smiled and would later wonder what had possessed her to do what she did next but at the time it had seemed right, she stood up on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on Lou's lips. Lou had kissed back instantly, just as softly, both knew that they weren't ready for anything more than light kissing at this point in time, that they needed to do a lot more talking before things would go further.

Pulling back slightly Catherine ran her fingers across the soft beard. "Tickles," she smiled at him.

"I'll shave it while you're at work if that's what you want."

Catherine shook her head and kissed him lightly again. "No, leave it for a bit." she smiled at him. "I've never been with a man with a beard before."

Lou smiled and held her hand softly, their eyes connected and they both felt that familiar feeling settle in their stomachs, the same feeling from when they were dating. Lou wanted to pull Catherine back into the house, sit on the couch with her and talk some more, maybe even a little making out. Catherine wanted that too but she knew she had to work, Lou being in her house and making her feelings all confused again didn't stop criminals from committing crimes.

She pulled her bag up her arm again, it had slipped during their kissing, she was just about to start talking when Lou placed his finger against her lips. "I know, you have to work." he smiled. "I'll be here when you get back.

Without a word Catherine nodded, smiled that smile that had attracted him in the first place and left for work. Lou now had to decide what he would do for the next eight or so hours, normally he would turn to drink but he had promised Catherine he would stay sober, he looked around the entrance hall and for the first time noticed just how many boxes were piled up around the place. He Smiled at all the neat little piles with Catherine's elegant scrawl on the side or top explaining which box was to go where, he set about moving them to the right rooms.

**Catherine's at work, Lou's moving boxes…wonder what's going to happen next ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three already, call me butter 'cause I'm on a roll :P**

Catherine had been at the office for close to eleven hours, she couldn't blame it on the work or the criminals though, she had chosen to stay at work for a little longer to gather her thoughts before she went back home to where Lou was, to where she knew he would be waiting for her and probably be waiting for them to talk some more but the truth was that Catherine was all talked out at the moment, all she really wanted to do was to relax and forget everything for a little while.

After much debating about how best to go about telling Lou she just wanted to forget everything and they would talk tomorrow she walked into the house and was greeted by Toby weaving through her ankles, looking up at her with those big eyes that begged for a fuss. She put her bag on the table and hung her jacket up then crouched down and allowed him to rest his head on her chest as she stroked his fur, it wasn't long before he rolled onto his back wanting a belly rub, Catherine smiled and let out a little chuckle then rubbed his soft belly as he wriggled in delight. It took her a couple of minutes to realise that Toby was the only person or dog that had greeted her, she patted his belly and stood up and headed into the living room, Toby at her heels, it only took a quick glance around to tell her that the room was empty and every room she checked after was just as empty as the first. Frowning she headed into the kitchen again and wondering where Lou had gone she headed to the back door to let Toby out, it was as she was just starting to think he had left and gone back to Vegas that she noticed him outside, he was wearing dark blue jeans, no shirt and mowing her lawn for her. She couldn't help but stare at the strong muscles in his back and arms, the little beads of sweat making him almost gleam in the sunlight. He looked like a Greek god. She found herself leaning against the doorframe, head tilted to the side as she ogled him. She knew there was no such thing as perfect but this man was pretty damn close.

Lou had known she was watching him as soon as her eyes landed on him, he felt that familiar tingle run down his spine, the one he got whenever Catherine was around. He smiled to himself and carried on as if he hadn't noticed, he liked that she was watching him. It made that little bit of hope shine brighter. Made him think that maybe, just maybe they could work things out and him coming to Quantico wasn't for nothing.

He walked all the way to the bottom of the yard in a straight line then turned around to make his way back up, he looked up and smiled big seeing her. "Hey, you're back."

Catherine smiled in response, he looked just as good from the front as he did the back.

She waved hi as Toby started to trail behind Lou like his shadow, Lou sent her a smile back and a small wave before he carried on. Heading inside Catherine made some ice tea and carried it outside to the sparse patio furniture she owned, her other stuff from Vegas just looked out of place her so she had donated it to The Salvation Army.

It wasn't long before Lou joined her at the table, he didn't sit though, he gave her a short, brief kiss on the cheek and helped himself to a glass, which he drank quickly. His hand rested on Catherine's shoulder briefly before he headed back down to continue mowing the lawn. Toby got bored of following Lou around and started to chase his tail in circles next to where Catherine sat, Catherine however didn't pay much attention, she happily watched and admired as Lou worked.

After the lawn had been mowed Lou had walked back up to where she was sat and placed a soft kiss against her lips, Catherine kissed back without hesitation, when they broke apart she smiled up at him and commented on his sweaty body which made Lou chuckle. They spent a while outside chatting about nothing important before Catherine urged him to shower and meet her in the family room. Lou did as he was instructed, he wanted to keep Catherine on his good side so he took a long shower, made himself presentable then headed back downstairs where he found Catherine waiting on the couch. He noted how she had changed out of her work clothes and into some fitted jeans and a light t shirt, he approached her with a smile and went to sit down but Catherine's hand shot up against his chest and held him there as she stood up making Lou quirk his eyebrow at her.

Sensing his question Catherine picked up her bag as she answered. "You need some clothes, you didn't bring anything and depending on how long you're staying-"

Lou interrupted her. "I've been given a months leave."

Catherine nodded and carried on. "Then you're going to need something to wear besides the minimal amount of stuff I have here."

Lou groaned at the thought of having to go shopping, it was a chore he despised, unless it was food shopping. He didn't mind that, cooking was one of his favourite things to do in his downtime, it reminded him of being a youngster and spending the summer days out at the lake with his father fishing then taking the catch of the day home and helping his mom prepare it for supper. He loved feeding people, it was one of the things his mother and grandmother had taught him, they always used to tell him that when you had guests you should offer them a drink and something to eat. A habit he had forgotten whenever Catherine had gone to is place, in fact everything apart from getting her into his bed as fast as possible had completely left his mind.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a sharp jab to his ribs, turning his face he saw Catherine waiting for him by the door with a smirk. Knowing he wouldn't get out of it he sighed and slowly followed her out of the door and to the car.

They had been at the mall for two hours, he was carrying five bags yet only two of those were for him. Catherine had engaged in a little retail therapy but he didn't mind, he didn't mind because she was currently in the changing room, he was sat on a stool opposite and he knew that any moment he would get to ogle Catherine again under the guise of checking if the dress suited her. To him they all did but he still liked to seem like he was paying attention and not just answering out of instinct. His eyes were drawn to the bottom of the changing room curtain which Catherine was in, he watched as her jeans dropped to the floor and she kicked them off, soon followed by her t shirt. He swallowed thickly and thought about how behind that thin curtain she was only in her bra and panties, his thoughts started to get away with him as he wondered what style and colour they were and if they matched, he also wondered if they were ones he had seen her in before. He felt a slight tightening in his pants and reached down to reposition himself to avoid any embarrassing moments, he let out a quiet sigh and scolded himself for letting such a thing happen.

Moments later the curtain opened and Catherine stepped out in a fitted purple dress, the colour suited her perfectly. Lou looked up and gulped slightly, she looked amazing.

"Well?" Catherine asked as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked at herself in the mirror, giving Lou a good view from the back.

When he didn't answer she looked over her shoulder and saw him lick his bottom lip slightly, she smiled seeing his eyes trail her body, she liked having that effect on him, the one that made him speechless. She also knew he was thinking the same as she was, that if it hadn't been for them going slow and sorting their problems out he would have pushed her back into that changing room and had his way with her, but they both knew that that wasn't an option.

Deciding that the dress was good she went back into the changing room and changed back into her jeans and t shirt, Lou followed after her as she brought the dress and headed out the store. She paused after a few minutes of leaving the store and turned to face him. "Do you wanna wait here a minute? I just need to nip in somewhere."

Lou quirked an eyebrow but nodded anyway, he took a seat on the bench and watched Catherine head down to Victoria's Secret, he suddenly felt thankful that she hadn't asked him in there, all of that sexy underwear along with Catherine would have sent his blood boiling again.

Catherine reappeared half an hour later with a couple of bags and smiled at him. "Ready?" Lou looked up from the magazine he had picked up and nodded.

After a couple more stores they went back to the house, Lou carried the bags into Catherine's room for her and put them on the bed, Catherine smiled at him and began unpacking them, well emptying them onto the bed was a more appropriate term. She tossed the pack of boxers at him and laughed when they burst and scattered everywhere, Lou looked down at the floor and chuckled. In response he picked up the closest bag and tossed the contents at Catherine, it wasn't until they both stopped laughing that Lou noticed he had just chucked the contents of one of her Victoria's Secret bags at her and a variety of underwear was strewn across the bed, his eyes noticed the different styles, the lacy thongs, the colourful briefs, the frilly panties, there was everything you could imagine inside the bag. The tips of his ears went red and he diverted his eyes from the underwear now covering Catherine's bed. He apologised profusely as Catherine laughed softly and bagged the underwear up again, telling him over and over again that it was fine, he had seen her underwear before. Which of course was true but he had never seen _that_ underwear before, even though in his mind he was secretly wishing he would be able to one day.

That night found them both on the couch watching a movie and sharing a pizza, something they had never done before. When Catherine had asked what Lou wanted to drink he had to fight the urge to ask for a beer, winning the fight he had requested a soda. Catherine had noticed his internal struggle and to make things easier on him she had bypassed her usual glass of wine and had a soda too. Lou noticed her choice of drink and told her that it was fine, she could have a glass of wine but Catherine silenced him with a soft kiss before she settled herself at the other end of the couch and pressed play on the film they had picked out to watch.

Halfway through the film Catherine had tried to subtly move closer to Lou, which hadn't gone unnoticed by him and he had put his arm around her shoulders and encouraged her to lean against him. Both found the closeness nice, there were no expectations, no worries, just the comfort. It was something they were both unused to but found they liked a lot and hoped they would do more of, if things worked out. Throughout the film Lou softly ran his fingers up and down Catherine's arm, she knew it was out of affection and not him trying to get in her pants. She had told him earlier that she wanted to wait before they were intimate again, she wanted to try dating first and if things worked out then maybe they could be a couple again.

As the night wore down they made their way up the stairs, outside of Catherine's bedroom door they paused, Lou rested his hands on her hips and smiled that charming smile that could melt Catherine's heart, she let him step closer to her and brush his lips across hers. Catherine relaxed into the moment knowing that nothing more than kissing would be done that night and kissed back, enjoying the tenderness. It had been a long time since she had been kissed like this, soft and loving, no roaming hands, no tongues just a soft press of lips to the other.

After bidding each other a good night and another shared kiss they headed to their separate rooms, Lou smiled at her from the doorway to his room and watched as she smiled back and gently shut her door.

**You'll all be glad to know that I have already started chapter four but it may be the final chapter.**

**Do not despair though because once this fic is finished I plan on updating Lets Get Out of This Town. On request of the lovely LilyStarbuck who threatened my body parts if I didn't continue it so you all have her to thank for it continuing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The last chapter was difficult to write, I just couldn't seem to get into it plus I had to keep stopping and starting. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it anyway and here is another one that I think you'll enjoy ;)**

Lou had been in Quantico for a month now, everything was going perfectly, and they had been spending time together as a couple and getting to know each other again. They had been on dates, even going to the cinema together. One thing they found they enjoyed more than anything was simply taking Toby for a walk, holding hands as they strolled through the peaceful park. It was pure bliss.

It was Lou's last night in Quantico, a night they had both known was coming and dreaded it, and it meant an end to their time together. An end to this almost perfect relationship they had worked hard on building over the past month, they had discussed everything, telling each other things they had never told anyone before, no stone had been left unturned in their conversations. They had even gone as far as sharing a bed over the last week, nothing but sleep had happened, well maybe a few kisses and cuddles but that's as far as it had gone, Lou didn't want to push Catherine into anything she wasn't ready for and Catherine was finding the closeness without the need of sex nice. Even though she did miss the sex, Lou had always been amazing in bed, he knew how to play her body like a finely tuned instrument and his talents far exceeded anyone she had been with before. It had been the past couple of days that Catherine had found herself thinking about how nice it would be to be joined like that with him again, she had first thought it when he was asleep on his back, in just his boxer shorts, the man hated pyjamas and to be honest Catherine couldn't really see him as a pyjama kind of guy, plus the view was nice. She had been watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, the hard lines of his muscled abs, all the way down to the little trail of dark hair that extended from his belly button to beneath the waistband of his boxer shorts; she loved that trail of hair. She had been tempted to reach out and brush her fingers across it but knew that if she did she risked waking him and he hadn't been sleeping very well, his body was struggling with the lack of alcohol.

She had been helping him as much as she could, telling him that he could wean off of it but he had insisted on going cold turkey so this made many a night when she had heard him downstairs watching TV or more often than not, working out. When she had asked him why he worked out when he couldn't sleep he had replied that it helped him relieve the tension and frustration and took his mind off of it by giving him something else to focus on, he had even been honest enough to tell her that it also helped to take his mind off of wanting sex. Hearing this had made Catherine look down and murmur a sorry but he had assured her that it was fine, he was happy to wait, he had only told her because he wanted to be completely honest with her and that she shouldn't feel pressured at all.

As it was his last night Lou had wanted it to be special so while Catherine was at work he transformed her place into a romantic paradise, he had been to the store and brought a bag of a hundred tea light candles and placed them around the dining room along with some of the scented ones Catherine already owned. He had also brought the ingredients to make them a fantastic dinner, taking the time to pick out each ingredient individually. He had decided on stuffed chicken breast wrapped in pancetta with a green bean salad as the main course, even making the cranberry sauce himself. It was a recipe he had only made once before but he knew it would be perfect, Catherine loved chicken. For dessert he had decided that chocolate drizzle cake would appeal to Catherine's sweet tooth, he would use his Grandma's old recipe, one he had spent many a childhood day helping her with. He made the cake first and put it aside to serve later then he prepared the main meal.

When Catherine arrived home she walked into a barely lit house, smiling softly when she heard the soft tones of her Top 100 Love Songs CD playing, a CD she would never admit to owning, she kicked off her heels and made her way through the house, the delicious aromas making her mouth water and stomach grumble. She opened the door to the dining room and gasped softly when she saw the candles around the room, the table set for two and Lou stood beside it smiling at her.

"What's all this?" she asked with a smile as she set her bag down and walked towards him for a kiss, which he gladly gave.

"I wanted to do something special for the woman I love." Lou replied when they broke apart from their kiss

Catherine looked down at the table and ran her fingers over the cream tablecloth; she knew she didn't own such a thing and that Lou must have put a lot of thought and effort into tonight. She had to admit that it was very sweet of him and the food did look delicious. Lou ran his fingers down her arms and helped her out of her jacket, he placed it on the side table and pulled out a chair for her, Catherine smiled up at him as she sat down and pushed the chair back in with Lou's help. She could easily get used to this, yet she knew it all had to end soon but she wasn't going to let that ruin their last night together. Lou took the seat opposite Catherine and poured them both a glass of sparkling water, he offered Catherine a glass of wine but she declined.

Lou waited until Catherine had taken the first delicious bite of food, she let out a soft moan of approval and her eyes rolled back at the delicious mix of tastes invading her mouth. They slowly ate, shared their tales of the day, both ignoring that little niggling part of their brains that was telling them that this was all they were going to get, by tomorrow night all of this would be over.

Once the main portion of the meal was over Catherine leaned back in her chair and gently patted her stomach, letting out a satisfied sigh as she did. "You're an amazing cook, how come I never knew this?" she chuckled.

Lou smiled and took a sip of water. "Because we were always too busy doing other stuff, even if we did sometimes include food in our activities." He smirked making Catherine's cheeks go a light shade of pink as she remembered the time she had let Lou drizzle chocolate sauce over her naked body then lick it off, or the time he had brought a can of whipped cream to her house, walked to her bedroom without a word and stripped off then lay on her bed and sprayed the cream in some very strategic places. Lou noticed the blush on her cheeks and gently held her hand; he smiled when she immediately linked their fingers together.

They spent a few more moments drinking their water, enjoying each other's company and sharing small talk before Lou fetched the cake, Catherine's eyes widened and she was pretty sure she was drooling at the sight. He had appealed right to her weakness, chocolate. He cut them both a slice and placed Catherine's in front of her, Lou had to chuckle when he heard her mumble that it was so good it was like an orgasm for her taste buds.

After dinner was over Lou instructed Catherine to wait at the table while he cleared the dishes away, she had no arguments, when he returned he held out his large hand to her and helped her up when she took it. He guided her into the living room and sat down on the large cushions he had placed on the floor; he pulled her to sit between his legs and began rubbing her shoulders softly while she watched some inane TV show about over styled housewives and their ridiculously rich husbands. His big hands added just the right amount of pressure Catherine had to bite her lip to stop the moan from escaping her lips, she loved the feelings he was causing, and it was sending tingles shooting through her entire body. He worked on her shoulders for a while before his hands moved to the back of her neck and gently rubbed, Catherine couldn't stop the shuddering moan this time, her neck was a turn on spot and Lou knew it. She lolled her head forward and groaned slightly causing Lou to bite back his own groan and his pants to tighten, it had been a long time since he had heard those sounds coming from Catherine and they were having quite the effect on him. She didn't make it any easier on him when her hands moved to his thighs and squeezed them, her manicured nails digging in slightly. He licked his suddenly dry lips and took a chance; he moved his head forward and brushed his lips against the back of her neck. He waited a second for her to pull away or tell him no, when she didn't he kissed her again to which she let out a quiet moan. Her hand sneaked up to the back of his neck and held him close to her as his kisses moved around to the side of her neck and his lips found her pulse point, he decided it was a good spot to pause and suck gently, Catherine's fingers clenched at his neck and she let out a soft mewling sound, a sound which Lou knew meant she was extremely aroused.

A few seconds later Catherine turned in his arms and scrambled onto her knees, her arms flying around his neck and she kissed him on the lips, full of passion and desire. Lou wasn't going to complain, he had been wanting this just as much and when she pressed her breasts against his chest he let out a low growl from deep within.

Catherine took this as a sound of approval and lowered her hands to his belt, which she quickly began to undo. Lou allowed her to remove his belt, undo his pants and slip her hand inside to find his hard length hiding beneath the cotton fabric of his boxers. It was when he felt her fondle him that he out his hand on top of hers and stilled her movements, Catherine pulled back from their fevered kissing and looked up at him in confusion, she was sure this had been what he had been wanting when he had started kissing her neck yet here he was stopping her, it didn't make any sense. She didn't have to worry for long though because Lou soon explained. "Cath, as much as I love what you're doing to me I want this to be special, I want us to make love not have sex."

Catherine quirked an eyebrow. "There's a difference?"

Lou smiled softly and kissed her rosy red lips before answering. "Yes. Sex is about carnal desires and reaching the pinnacle as fast as you can. Making love is about taking time to be close to the one you love, touching and teasing, slowly working together in sweet harmony until it peaks and you come tumbling down the other side, together." Lou's explanation cause Catherine to and run her hands up his chest.

"Okay Detective Vartann, make love to me." She purred against his ear.

Lou stood from his place on the floor and helped her up, he held her hand and led her upstairs to her bedroom, when they were inside he shut the door and began kissing her again as he guided her backwards towards the bed. When the backs of her legs collided with the mattress he gently lay her down and parted their lips, he slowly and lovingly positioned her so she was laying with her head on the pillows then got off the bed, he stood at the end and slowly stripped for her. Catherine propped herself up on her elbows and admired the gorgeous man in front of her, she smirked slightly as he lowered his boxers to reveal his hard member standing to attention.

Lou slowly climbed onto the bed and crawled his way over to Catherine until he was hovering above her, his hands brushing over her clothes, his eyes watching their movements. Catherine's breaths began to come in short gasps as he slowly and teasingly popped open every button on her shirt, she lifted herself up slightly as he pulled it off and tossed it to the floor to rest with his clothes, then he set to work on removing her slacks. As he pulled them down he gently kissed her thigh, making her purr softly, he tossed them in the same direction and raised himself above her on his strong arms and trailed his eyes over her body. The matching white bra and panties making her seem almost innocent, he knew however that Catherine was far from innocent, the things they used to do together prove that, just the thought of these things made his erection twitch slightly.

He spent the next few minutes cherishing and worshiping her body, taking his time to remove her underwear until she was naked and writhing beneath him. He loved seeing the pink flush rising up her chest and neck, the soft murmurs of encouragement leaving her lips on a whisper. When he knew she was close to flipping them and taking control of the situation he positioned himself to enter her, protection wasn't an issue; Catherine had previously made it clear that she was past the stage to have children. Their eyes locked as he gently pushed his way inside of her, her inner walls stretching to accommodate him. Catherine gripped his hand as he slowly began moving, his movements far different to what she was used to, instead of the fast hard thrusts he was going slowly and softly.

It wasn't long before Catherine moved her hips in time with his, their hands joined and resting beside her hip. She could feel his hot breath against her neck, his quiet grunts and groans; these combined were making her pleasure even more intense. She knew it wouldn't take her long to reach her climax but she was determined to hold out for him. She could feel his lips pressing soft yet desperate kisses against her neck, she knew from the way he was trying to hold back with his thrusts that he wanted to make it special but his kisses indicated how much he wanted this. She moved her free hand to his waist; she could feel the steady roll of his hips, the muscles working hard to satisfy her.

It wasn't long before she felt the steady swell of him inside of her and knew that he was just as close as she was, she gasped softly and moved her lips to his ear and murmured. "So good, so close."

Lou let out a rumbling groan against her neck and Catherine knew that had been enough to tip him over the edge into bliss, she felt the slight jerk of his body as he emptied inside of her. His climax was enough to set off hers and she climaxed, his name leaving her lips on a whisper.

Lou remained on top of her as their bodies slowly came down from the peaks of their orgasms, he gently kissed her and brushed her hair from her face, Catherine smiled up at him and brushed her hands up his damp back. After a few more loving kisses they separated and Lou rolled next to her, his hand still holding hers, she turned onto her side and curled up against him.

All of this had happened over six months ago, Lou coming to find her, sorting out their issues and beginning a better relationship than they previously had, making love and then the inevitable leaving. That had been hard, Catherine had drove him to the airport and they had shared tender kisses before Lou had boarded the plane and left for Vegas, that night Catherine had cried herself to sleep. She missed him so much even if he had promised to call her all the time, which he had been doing but it wasn't the same as having his warm body next to hers.

That's why this particular day was so important to her; she stood scanning the crowds of people. Her eyes landed on the familiar face and she took off running towards him, he dropped his bags when he saw her and caught her in his arms. They shared a deep, loving kiss before she pulled back slight, her legs still wrapped around his waist and his arms holding her up.

"I'm so glad you're back," She whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. Lou smiled softly and wiped the tear away. "I'm not letting you go again." She snuggled against his chest holding onto him tight.

Lou grinned and stroked her back. "You don't have to darling, I'm here for good."

Lou had applied for a transfer as soon as he had arrived back in Vegas, it had taken a while to convince the sheriff that he was either transferring him or he was quitting, either way he was going to Quantico. In the end they settled on transferring him, everyone could see how he had changed since his trip and they all knew why. He was in love.

Catherine climbed out of his arms and held his hand as they walked out of the airport together, to start their new life.

**So there we have it. The end to Where Rainbows End. **

**Let me know what you think :D**


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